Protective masker for highway paint



July 12, 1955 F. A. CLARKE PROTECTIVE MARKER FOR HIGHWAY PAINT LINES Filed April 13, 1953 INVENTOR Frederick A. Clarke v 7163 MTTORNE%;

limited States Patent Frederick A. Clarke, University Heights, Ohio, assignor to Gard Products, 122-, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of )hio Application April 13, 1953, Serial No. 348,330 3 Claims. (Cl. 11663) This invention relates to markers for use on highways and more particularly to markers suitable for warning drivers of vehicles not to cross freshly painted traflic guide lines.

The device of the present invention is a molded rubber marker of elongated V-shape that is of a length to span the line or lines to be protected, that has supporting projections at its ends for engagement with the pavement on opposite sides of the paint line and that are adapted to support the marker clear of the painted strip in any position in which the marker may be placed spanning the paint line.

The marker has three supporting projections at each end, one at the apex of the V and the other two at the free edges of the walls that form the V. The lugs at the ends of the apex of the marker are rounded to perrnit the marker to be readily rolled from one side to the other and the lugs at the free edges of the walls are provided with flat bases that resist sliding movements of the marker on the pavement.

Objects of the invention are to provide a marker that can be easily placed along a paint line and that is supported out of contact with the paint line in any position in which it may lie when positioned across the paint line, to provide a marker of a form such that it will readily nest with other identical markers and that can be dropped at desired distances apart along the paint line as the line is painted, and to provide a marker that is so constmcted that it forms a convenient portable supporting base for a flag or a sign.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a portion of a highway with markers placed along the painted line;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the markers;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a marker; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the marker taken on the line indicated at 4-4 in Fig. 3.

'ihe marker of the present invention is preferably formed of flexible and elastic rubber molded to the form of an elongated V, the marker having two rectangular xalls it that are integrally joined together along an apex El and that have free edges 12 parallel to the apex. The walls lit are joined together at an acute angle, preferably of about 66 and the ends of the free edges of the walls are provided with identical supporting lugs or projections 13 that extend laterally beyond the outer faces of the walls 10 and beyond the edges 12 in the planes of the Walls 19.

The four projections 13 have flat rectangular bottom faces 14 that lie in the same plane to support the marker with its open side facing downwardly and with the edges 12 of the walls it) clear of the pavement. The projections 13 have flat side faces 15 and the side faces 15 of the two projections integral with each wall it are in a plane substantially parallel to the wall. The marker has wo additional supporting lugs 1%, one at each end of the apex 11 and these lugs 15 project laterally beyond face of its wall and past the the planes of the outer faces of the walls 10 to coact with the projections 13 of either of the walls 10 to support the marker with either side 10 closely overlying but clear of the pavement.

The supporting projections 13 at the opposite ends of the marker are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the paint strip to be protected so that the marker when disposed across the paint strip will be supported on its projections at opposite sides of the strip and out of contact with the paint regardless of the position of the marker.

The outer faces of the projections 16 are rounded so that when the marker is lying upon a side it can be readily rolled from one side to the other and these faces preferably lie in the surface of a cylinder that is tangent to the planes of the faces 15 of the supporting projections l3 so that when the marker is supported on either of its sides the rectangular faces 15 of the two projections 13 engaging the pavement will lie flat on the pavement to resist sliding movements of the marker on the pavement. When the marker is supported on the projections 13 the free edges 12 of the walls 19 are closely adjacent but clear of the surface of the pavement. When the marker lies on either side, one of its walls It is parallel to and closely adjacent but clear of the pavement. The projections 16 are preferably spaced apart a distance substantially the same as the distance between the projections i3 as shown in the drawings. This distance is greater than the width of the paint strip to be protected so that the marker may lie on either side overlying but not engaging the paint line. The marker is preferably provided with a central opening 17 which is adapted to receive a post so that the marker provides a convenient portable support for a flag or sign.

it is to be understood that in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, variations and moditications of the specific devices herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What i claim is: I

l. A highway paint strip marker comprising an elon gated flexible rubber member having two substantially flat angularly disposed longitudinal walls joined along an apex and having free edges substantially parallel to said apex, said member having a supporting projection at each end of said apex and at each end of each of said free edges, the projections at the ends of said free edges each extending outwardly from the plane of the outer face of its wall and past the free edge of its wall in the plane thereof, the projections at the ends of said apex each extending outwardly from the planes of the outer faces of both walls, whereby said marker may be supported at its ends and on opposite sides of a paint line with its apex at the top and the free edges of its walls clear of the paint line or with either of its side walls forming a bottom overlying and clear of the paint line.

2. A highway paint strip mar er comprising an elongated fiexible rubber member having two substantially flat angularly disposed longitudinal Walls joined along an apex and having free edges substantially parallel to said apex, said member having a supporting projection at each end of said apex and at each end of each of said free edges, the projections at the ends of said free edges each extending outwardly from the plane of the outer free edge of its wall in the plane thereof, the projections at the ends of said apex each extending outwardly from the planes of the outer faces of both walls, whereby said marker may be supported at its ends and on opposite sides of a paint line its apex at the top and the free edges of its walls clear of the paint line or with either of its side walls forming a bottom overlying and clear of the paint line, said apex projections being rounded to facilitate rolling of the marker thereon.

3. A highway paint strip marker comprising an elongated flexible rubber member having two substantially flat angularly disposed longitudinal walls joined along an apex, and having free edges substantially parallel to said apex, said member having'a supporting projection at each end of said apex and at each end of each of said free edges, the projections at the ends of said free edges each extending outwardly from the plane of the outer face of its wall and past the free edge of its wall in the plane thereof, the projections at the ends of said apex each extending outwardly from the planes of the outer faces of both walls, whereby said marker may be supported at its ends and on opposite sides of a paint line in a first position with its apexat the top and the free edges References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Neal Oct. 4,1949 'Bompart July 17, 1951 

